Northampton Saints 17 Gloucester 25: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

Another full house, finally a return to Gallagher Premiership action and the chance to start getting some traction in the league standings.

On the final day of November, you expected Saints to set themselves up for a big winter ahead with a trademark showing on home soil, where they had won all 13 league matches since October 2023.

But in the end, the Gloucester narrative was stronger.

The Cherry and White story was one of revenge and atonement.

They set the record straight after sending a second team to its slaughter at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens back in May.

Saints boss Phil Dowson had warned his side of a big reaction from a Gloucester team he predicted would be ‘breathing fire’.

And so it proved as George Skivington’s men displayed fire and desire during an opening 40 minutes in which they scored 22 points and could have had even more.

It was a first period in which Saints had just 31 per cent possession, one visit to the 22, which George Furbank scored a brilliant try from, and just two line-breaks.

Gloucester, in contrast, pushed Saints to the limits in their own half, making 12 line-breaks while racking up three scores.

At 22-7 down, Saints were really up against it, but they looked like had turned the tide at half-time, striking early during the second period as Alex Mitchell lifted the tempo, delivering a try assist with his first touch of the season.

However, after failing to get any momentum during the first half, Saints failed to capitalise on it when it finally arrived.

The chances of victory fell apart during a shambolic sin-bin period in which myriad errors were made.

There was a tap and go penalty with no tap, an early engagement at scrum, a lineout lost in the 22 after turning down a shot at goal, a knock-on with line in sight and, to cap it all, a disallowed Tom Litchfield try.

Gloucester had looked out on their feet halfway through the second half, but they battled so bravely to stop Saints building on the Juarno Augustus try.

The away side, who possess class operators such as Santiago Carreras and Zach Mercer, took their chances when they came, pouncing on intercepts and punishing Saints at the breakdown and scrum time.

And when Saints infringed at a late lineout on the edge of their own 22, Carreras stuck the boot in once more, slotting a fine kick that put the game to bed.

There was still a chance for Saints to salvage a point, but, just as they did in the defeat at Bristol in their previous Premiership match, they saw the kick miss the target to leave them without anything to show for their efforts.

It has been the story of the season, with Saints failing to grab any points from four of their seven league matches.

They have taken just 14 points from a possible 35 so far, leaving them with a huge amount of work to do already in their title defence.

And with Saracens away in their next league game, things certainly don’t get any easier.

Saints are desperate to build up a head of steam in a fragmented campaign, but for numerous reasons they have been unable to.

Injuries have hit them hard, and that was the case again on Saturday as they lost Fin Smith to an eye issue during the opening five minutes and then George Hendy to a concussion later in the game.

They have not had Alex Mitchell for six and a half games of their title defence, and he showed just how much they have missed him with a sparkling second-half cameo on his return.

Saints remain without Burger Odendaal and Sam Graham, two key power players, and they have recently lost Josh Kemeny to injury, too, meaning a lot of their X factor has been eroded.

But last season they found a way to cope in such tough periods, with the squad showing its strength time and again.

How they need that now as they target another fruitful festive period like the one that propelled them into contention in the Premiership and Europe last season.

And there is no better time to start than now as, like Gloucester did so successfully, they look to use a Gardens defeat to draw a line in the sand.

How they rated…

GEORGE FURBANK - one of the bright sparks for Saints as he scored a fine solo try and led the charge on a couple of occasions during the second half… 7

GEORGE HENDY - didn’t get the chance to do any real attacking but his defending prevented two tries as he made crucial jackhammer hits out wide… 6

TOM LITCHFIELD - plenty of power but not quite the precision at times from the centre, who certainly tried to put his body on the line here… 5.5

RORY HUTCHINSON - Gloucester shut down the Scotland centre well, refusing to let him get any time on the ball… 5

OLLIE SLEIGHTHOLME – came agonisingly close to scoring in the corner on two occasions as he threatened in typical fashion, but Gloucester scrambled well… 5.5

FIN SMITH - didn’t get any time to make an impact as an eye injury forced him off

TOM JAMES - started to look a bit more lively at the start of the second half but was soon replaced. Had a really tough first half that included an intercept try and some decision making that didn’t pay off… 4.5

TOM WEST - had a tough battle on his hands as he was up against rising start Afolabi Fasogbon at scrum time… 5

CURTIS LANGDON - gave it his all, as he always does, for the full 80 minutes, but Gloucester kept a tight hold of Saints’ traditional tone-setter… 6

TREVOR DAVISON - thundered into some collisions as he showed his hunger after not featuring for England during the autumn but Gloucester stopped him well… 5.5

CHUNYA MUNGA - got through plenty of work for the team but with little reward overall… 5.5

ALEX COLES - worked really hard but it wasn’t the England man’s day as he found himself on the wrong side of the referee on a few occasions, including at the end when Gloucester were given a penalty that sealed the win… 5

ANGUS SCOTT-YOUNG - worked as hard as he always does for the team, making tackles and carries at a relentless rate… 6

TOM PEARSON - a tougher day than usual for the flanker, who Gloucester looked determined to make a statement against as they stood up to him… 5

JUARNO AUGUSTUS – scored at the end of a week in which it was announced he will join Ulster in the summer. Earned a turnover and competed well… 6.5

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

JAMES RAMM (for Smith 4) – made some metres for his team as he tried to find a way through Gloucester, but the visiting defence scrambled well… 5.5

FRASER DINGWALL (for Hendy 36) – added some go-forward to the team, showing again how important he is to the team… 6.5

MANNY IYOGUN (for West 47) – helped to steady the Saints ship a bit against a tough Gloucester front row… 6

ALEX MITCHELL (for James 47) – looked like he’d never been away as he tried to spark Saints into life by lifting the tempo from the second he got on the field… 7

LUKE GREEN (for Davison 57) – tried his best to help push Gloucester back as he got more valuable Gallagher Premiership minutes… 5.5

HENRY POLLOCK (for Pearson 57) – always hungry for action but Gloucester stopped the livewire back row forward having an impact on the game… 5.5

CHRON STAR MAN – Santiago Carreras (Gloucester)